While Adam Sandler is widely thought to make the worst movies ever, there are plenty of underrated Adam Sandler movies out there to enjoy. The comedian has been the poster boy for the Razzie Awards, and his work is slated by critics every time he shows his face on the screen. However, the problem with most of his films is that they suffer from weak scripts, leading to his films' success being wholly character-driven. Sandler himself is talented, and his movies like Hustle and Uncut Gems prove Adam Sandler is underrated as an actor in less-outright-comedic roles.
It's been proven through various underrated Adam Sandler movies that when he really applies himself and digs deep into the nuances of his character that he can deliver a performance that is truly special. Adam Sandler movies like Bulletproof or Click are great films in their own right, even if they tend not to be noticed or well-liked by critics. The problem with Sandler's track record is his spotty comedies. Iconic films like Big Daddy or Anger Management are immediately overshadowed when something like Hubie Halloween hits the screen. Here are the most underrated Adam Sandler movies that prove the creator is worth the hype.
12 Airheads (1994)
This wacky skewering of rock music and ‘90s youth culture is one of the most underrated Adam Sandler movies. Airheads stars Adam Sandler alongside Brendan Fraser and Steve Buscemi. They’re a trio of idiotic L.A. metalheads who decide to instigate a hostile takeover of a radio station to force them to play their demo on the air.
One of the most overlooked '90s movies, this is a must-see for any fan of rock ‘n’ roll, especially for those who have ever thought of starting their own rock band, or started one and failed. The great thing about this movie is that underneath all the absurdity and the crime caper, it’s simply a story about three starry-eyed guys who want to follow their dreams. That’s something audiences can all get behind.
11 That’s My Boy (2012)
While its unabashedly lewd humor might not be everyone’s cup of tea, That’s My Boy finds Adam Sandler in refreshingly R-rated form following a string of family movies like Bedtime Stories. In one of the most underrated Adam Sandler movies, he plays the reckless adult that a kid who became famous for getting his teacher pregnant grew up to be, as he tracks down his son Andy Samberg on the eve of his wedding.
While the movie features a stellar cast with Andy Samberg, Susan Sarandon, James Caan, and even Vanilla Ice, That's My Boy is a very dark comedy, and it’ll be too awful for the faint of heart. However, Sandler really does flex his comedic muscles, and it’s just nice to see Sandler go all out. Audiences are used to seeing him watered down with a PG-13 rating, so it’s a breath of fresh air that when he goes for the R rating, he goes for a hard R rating.
10 Blended (2014)
Out of Adam Sandler’s three collaborations with Drew Barrymore, this is the latest and least popular. However, there’s a lot to love in the movie, and it's undeniable that Barrymore and Sandler have great chemistry. For starters, one of the most underrated Adam Sandler movies has its heart in the right place. Barrymore plays a single mother going through a divorce, and Sandler plays a widower trying to raise three daughters on his own.
Through a series of wacky events, the two end up going on vacation together, and hilarity ensues. One of the best Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore movies, the film's message is one of love and unity and working together, as both families fit together perfectly and fill in each other’s gaps. Plus, it’s just a fun movie. The families go on vacation together and have a whale of a time. And, as ever, Sandler and Barrymore are endlessly likable.
9 Funny People (2009)
Unfortunately, the main thing Funny People stood out for when it debuted in 2090 was its runtime. This movie might be a little long, clocking in at around two and a half hours, but Adam Sandler is terrific in the lead role of George Simmons. George is clearly a loose parody of Sandler himself, and he doubtlessly brought some of his real-world experience to the role.
Written and directed by Sandler’s old roommate Judd Apatow, Funny People tells the story of a legendary comedian who has fallen from grace as he stars in schlocky high-concept comedies and reevaluates his life choices when he is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Things take a nosedive in one of the most underrated Adam Sandler movies when Apatow’s family is shoehorned into the story, but this is Sandler at his best — funny, earnest, and very human.
8 Bulletproof (1996)
One of the more lesser-known Adam Sandler movies, Bulletproof, has one of the most abysmal Rotten Tomatoes score on the market. However, it really is one of the most underrated Adam Sandler movies, as the comedy holds up, and it's not a role Sandler often plays.
Pairing cop Damon Wayans with fugitive Adam Sandler, the Razzie-nominated Adam Sandler movie is a lesser-known buddy cop movie that has a zanier sense of humor to bat. There’s a lot of talent behind the camera, too: it’s directed by close Spike Lee collaborator Ernest Dickerson and the score is composed by the great Elmer Bernstein, the man behind the music of some of Hollywood’s classics.
7 Click (2006)
Click is by far one of the most underrated Adam Sandler movies. This is what the Adam Sandler version of an uplifting Frank Capra movie would look like, as Sandler's Michael finds himself in possession of a remote that has the ability to fast-forward, pause, and rewind through time.
It might have Sandler’s signature slapstick humor for the first half as plenty of gags are wrung out of his ability to control real life at the click of a button, but as he discovers the dark side of his new gadget. The second half of the movie just becomes really sad and heartbreaking. However, it carries a positive message, telling audiences to appreciate what one has in the present, rather than wishing for a brighter future and missing it. It’s an underrated emotional ride.
6 The Week Of (2018)
In one of the most underrated Adam Sandler movies, the comedian plays an actually relatable human character for the first time in years opposite his buddy Chris Rock. Sandler and Rock's kids are getting married, and the two come from very different backgrounds. Things come to a head when Sandler's Kenny decides to pay for the entirety of his daughter's wedding, leading to a very cheap affair.
The pair have excellent chemistry that writer-director Robert Smigel exploits brilliantly as they play the dads at a wedding as the quintessential odd couple — Rock is rich, while Sandler is poor, and yet, as the father of the bride, insists on paying for the wedding. There are no absurdist sight gags or slapstick in this movie. The dialogue is very naturalistic, and the humor comes out of real situations. As Adam Sandler’s fourth Netflix movie, a lot of people had given up on him by the time it was released, but it’s well worth watching.
5 Spanglish (2004)
This James L. Brooks dramedy and one of the most underrated Adam Sandler movies stars Sandler as a chef with a lot of personal problems who manages to make a connection with his new maids, who have just emigrated from Mexico, despite the fact they can’t speak English. While Spanglish isn't that well known, the movie's cast did manage to scoop up a couple of awards for their performances.
It’s rare that Sandler shows this much depth, as he’s forced to communicate non-verbally with the rest of the cast to overcome the language barrier. Acting drunk isn’t easy, and doing it sincerely and not for cheap laughs is even harder, but there’s a scene in Spanglish where Sandler plays his character drunk, and it’s one of the most accurate drunken performances ever put on film.
4 Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
When movie director Paul Thomas Anderson said at a press conference to promote Magnolia that he wanted Adam Sandler to star in his next movie, a lot of people thought he was joking. However, sure enough, his next movie was a small, intimate romantic comedy with strong dramatic elements starring Adam Sandler as a mentally unstable man who falls for a mild-mannered woman.
It’s interesting to see how easily the same sort of acting seen in Billy Madison can become disturbing when it’s framed in a different light and when Sandler doesn’t have a goofy grin when he’s doing it, and he’s playing a character with serious psychological problems. Punch Drunk Love is truly a testament to Sandler's acting talents in dramatic roles, and it's seriously one of the most underrated Adam Sandler movies.
3 The Meyerowitz Stories (2017)
Not many people consider Adam Sandler a great actor, but if he manages to hold his own in a Noah Baumbach movie about a dysfunctional family, then there’s no question about it. In one of the most underrated Adam Sandler movies, he plays the older brother to Ben Stiller, whose character was always favored by their father, Dustin Hoffman.
Stiller and Sandler were considered almost-rivals at one point, as they were both two of comedies leading men. The two are close in real life though, and this dynamic shines through on screen. The relationships that Sandler develops on-screen with Stiller and Hoffman are so beautifully bittersweet that audiences genuinely feel that this is a real family. They’re real brothers, and they’re a real father and son, and they struggle to communicate with one another, which in itself says volumes about their characters.
2 Uncut Gems (2019)
The comedian once again shines in a dramatic role in one of the most underrated Adam Sandler movies of all time, Uncut Gems. In the A24 crime thriller, Sandler plays jewelry store owner and gambling addict Howard Ratner, who has all but gambled away everything he and his family own. With a divorce impending and his loan shark brother-in-law on his tail, Howard smuggles in a rare black Opal from Ethiopia and hopes to turn his luck around.
It's a twisty crime thriller from directors Josh and Benny Safdie, and along with being one of the lesser-known Adam Sandler movies, it's one of the best A24 movies. Sandler puts on the dramatic performance of a lifetime as the smarmy Howard, who, even with how unlikable he is thanks to his abysmal choices, still finds audiences rooting for his success in the end.
1 Hustle (2022)
Adam Sandler stars as a jaded international NBA scout in the sports dramedy Hustle, one of the most underrated Adam Sandler movies of all time. In the film, Sandler plays Stanley Sugerman, a scout for the Philadelphia 76ers, who comes upon a talented player from Spain named Bo Cruz (Juancho Hernangómez). Stanley tries everything he can to prepare Cruz for the NBA draft, but things don't happen for the amateur basketball player so easily.
Hustle got Adam Sandler nominated for his very first Screen Actors Guild Award, and based on his outstanding performance, it's easy to see why. Sandler was praised by critics precisely for going against his usual typecasting, once again showcasing that he has some serious dramatic chops alongside his comedic ones. The Netflix movie is a perfect example of what Adam Sandler is truly capable of as an actor.